


Dead Like 1D

by i_amthecosmos



Series: The Reaperverse [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Anal Sex, M/M, Unhappy Harry, descriptions of violence, dodgy worldbuilding, handjobs, violence to children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2015-10-26
Packaged: 2018-04-28 05:55:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5080303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_amthecosmos/pseuds/i_amthecosmos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry Styles died decades ago, and has been a Reaper ever since, taking souls to their respective afterlifes. Then he takes a vacation, and meets a man named Louis. Louis is basically perfect, but he doesn't have much time on Earth. </p><p>(Or, the 'Harry is a Grim Reaper' au)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dead Like 1D

**Author's Note:**

> This was fun to write for the most part. Mags suggested the title, and then nothing was near as good after that. It's not actually based on the Dead Like Me canon that strongly, mostly because (1) I didn't watch it all that much and (2) It was fun trying to come up with my own. Thanks for reading.

Harry was spending a bit of time in his room, taking a break. He didn’t get many breaks, but Niall was working his shift while he took some time off. He had earned it, the last time he took a mental health day was 1998. 

So with his extra time off, he lounged in his room, watching aboveground TV, and trying to stay away from the news. So instead he watched MASH reruns, thinking about when he reaped one of the cast members a couple of years ago. Maybe he should watch newer TV shows, but he liked this one. 

Harry frowned when he heard a knock on his door. He got up to open it and saw Zayn. “I took the day off,” he said, before Zayn could actually say anything. “I need some time to myself-“ 

“I know you do,” Zayn said. This is why he was so hard to argue with, he was always so reasonable. “But we need you, there’s been another attack in Gaza.” 

Harry covered his face with his hands. He hated these kinds of calls. “I know,” Zayn said. “It’s awful, but we need help. We need to get their souls here, where they’ll be safe. It’s all we can do for them now.” Bloody Zayn, he always made everything sound so reasonable. “I just need you to go Up for a reaping.”

“That’s what you always say,” Harry said, but he pulled himself together. “Let me get dressed.” When the door was closed, Harry took off his trackies and t-shirt and put on a nice black and white shirt, black pants, and a black hat. The sun was very hot in Gaza. Then he left his room, went down the long hall with dozens of different rooms just like his, went to the elevator, and got in. He was alone in the elevator-were they really that busy? He didn’t know, so he pressed the ‘up’ button on the elevator and waited. 

The elevator dinged, and Harry walked out into a war zone. There were leveled buildings, dust and blood everywhere, and Harry sighed. Humans were so destructive, and short-sighted. But he didn’t have any time to think about it, he had a soul to collect. 

Harry stared at the destruction until he saw it, a shimmering light over the body of a young girl. Harry headed her way, and the girl saw him and sat up, smiling. He kneeled in front of her. “Hello sweetie. I’m here to take you where you need to be.” 

The little girl looked at him. “Will my family be with me?” Harry looked around her, at the bodies of a woman and another child close to the girl, and he nodded. “Will it be nice?” Harry nodded, and she played with his hat. “You don’t talk much.” 

“No, I don’t really. Can I pick you up?” The little girl held her hands out, and Harry picked her up-her soul, leaving her body there. “Wait, get everybody else.” 

“I can’t, one of my friends will get them.” Just then he saw Niall come out of the elevator, and he nodded at him. Niall gave him a big grin, he was always smiling. Harry took the girl with him back to the elevator. She squeezed her little arms around his neck in a hug as he took her down. 

When the elevator opened up, Harry and the girl were in a hallway with dim lighting. “I thought you said my family will be with me,” she said, frowning at him. Harry booped her nose.

“They will, but I’m not the one that will take them there. You’ll all meet up there, I promise.” Harry actually didn’t know if it was true, he really only knew his job. He put her down and she held his hand. They walked, Harry stooped over, until he got to the right door. “Islamic heaven right here,” he says, and she stared at him. 

“I’m dead,” she said, and he nodded. She wiped her eyes. “Thank you,” she said, her voice wavering, and then she went inside and Harry couldn’t see her anymore. Then he went back to the elevator to go to go to his floor, his work was done.

…

“I need a vacation.” Harry stood before Liam, who was sitting down at his desk. “It’s too much, there’s too many wars, I can’t take it.” Harry tried to catch his breath while Liam kept staring him down, eyes sympathetic. “I just want to get away from this for a while.”

“You know, it’s been worse,” Liam said and Harry wanted to yell. He knew that, of _course_ he knew that. That didn’t mean it wasn’t turning him inside out right now. “I’ll see if you’re due for one, I don’t think you’ve taken a real vacation in quite some time.” 

Harry chewed his lip while Liam nattered around on his computer. “Yes, you’re overdue. Do you want to stay down here and just watch the telly for a while or…”

“Up. I want to go Up. Give me a human appearance and let me go see the nice things on Earth. I’ve had quite enough dead children.” Liam blinked at him, it was not a usual request he figured. “I want to go to California and watch whales.” 

“All right then,” Liam said. “I’ll send you to Lou, she’ll make you look more human, fix it so you can handle the sunlight.” Reapers had a tendency to faint or blister if they didn’t take care to avoid sun as much as possible. Something about being a Reaper meant they got a serious allergy to the sun. “Here, let me see if I have a going Up kit.” Liam scrambled around, and after a minute turned to Harry. “Go see her now, I’ll probably have one by the time you’re ready.”

Harry nodded and went back to see Lou. Lou ran the clothes and costume part of their realm. It was her job to keep them in modern clothing so they didn’t stand out. She also could help them look more alive, and not like, well, Reapers.

She spent an hour getting him ready. She fluffed his hair, put creams and lotions on his skin, and used some sort of laser to make his eyes a brighter green instead of their normal dull color. When she was done, Harry was impressed. “Never thought I could look like that,” he said. Lou patted his shoulder.

“Hope you have fun on your trip, Harry,” she said, and he went back to Liam’s office for his kit. He had no idea what Liam was going to give him, but it sounded important. 

When Harry got back to Liam he was disheveled and had a lot of clutter on his desk, which was unlike him. “I found one,” he said. “Kits for going to the human world for something other than business aren’t that common anymore. But I found you one. Here, make sure everything’s there.” Harry looked through it and found a passport, ID, money, credit card, a few coins for tolls, a smart phone, and a condom. Harry fished it out, just to watch Liam turn red. 

“I don’t think I’ll be using this,” he said, and Liam stammered. 

“It’s just in case. If you’re going Up, you might find someone attractive, and you’re human, more or less. Don’t want you coming back with an STD, those are buggers to fix.” Liam nodded at him. “Well. Have a good vacation, we’ll see you when you get back.”

“I’ll see you Liam,” Harry said, and went for the elevator. This one let him up, up, up, until he arrived. He wasn’t sure where he was, but there was a tourist welcoming center and he went over. He was in California, on the coast, in whale-watching country. He grinned. 

“Thanks Liam, got it perfect.”

…

Harry had to take a bit of time to get used to human life, and figure out how to get a hotel and use the phone (it was fully paid up and ready to go. Liam did good work.) But the next day he left his hotel room, stopped at a hole in the wall to get some fish tacos, and boarded a boat for a day looking for humpback whales. 

After about two hours, he started to feel a bit tired. There were no whales yet, and it was hot. The sun was beaming down, even though he used the sunscreen and had a big hat on. But the ocean was soothing, and that was nice. 

“No whales yet, hmmm?” Harry turned and saw a man standing next to him. He had brown hair and a cap on over it, sunglasses, and a tank and shorts. He looked more natural for this environment than Harry felt in his long-sleeve shirt and jeans. 

“Not a one,” Harry said, unsure how to carry on a conversation with a person. It wasn’t something he did much of, unless he was reaping them. There was a reason he wanted to see whales and not, say, Tokyo. “I like the day though. And it’s a nice boat.” 

“It is a very good boat,” Louis agreed. “It might be taking us back soon though, so I hope we see something. I didn’t bring a lunch with me, and these boats don’t exactly have kitchens.” Harry looked over his shoulder at the boat, and then heard a gasp from the others and felt a quick jab to his elbow by his new friend. “Look! Look!”

Harry could see a small spout from a blow hole, and a little bit of a knobby head and back of a whale, coming up for air and quickly descending. Harry whistled, and he could hear the other tour goers laugh and applaud. “There’s one. Looked a bit smallish.”

“For a humpback, yes.” The other man was grinning. “I love getting to see them. I’m a surfer, so I don’t really see whales a great deal. They’re not that close to the shore usually. I just have to worry about sharks.” Harry thought about that, and remembered that yes, surfers could look like seals to a shark, and nodded. 

“Doesn’t it scare you to surf then?” He asked, and the other man shook his head. “Sorry, I didn’t get your name. I’m Harry.” 

“I’m Louis, Louis Tomlinson.” Louis intoned his name as if he was a hugely famous and important person. This was undercut a bit by the wink he gave Harry as he pulled his sunglasses down. “Pleased to meet you.” He shook hands with Harry, and Harry liked his grip, it was strong. 

“My name’s Harry Styles.” It was his name, long ago, and it was on his ID now, so he was going with that. “I’m on vacation, had to get away from my job for a little bit. It was getting to be too much.” He figured that was all he could safely say about it, and Louis nodded, accepting it without any questions. Good.

“Yeah. I’m a computer coder, but my job’s a bit boring. What I like to do is get outside, surf, swim, have some fun. I took the whale tour because I thought it would be cool.” Louis looked out at the waves and smiled. “It is, too.” Louis held his gaze for a bit and just before Harry got embarrassed, he looked back at the ocean. 

“You come to California much then?” That was Louis after a few moments silence. “I can tell you’re from England too, different accent than mine but still. Or is your job here?” Harry shook his head at that part. “Mine is, at least my current job. I’m only contracted for two years.” 

“I work in England, yeah,” Harry lied. “I was overdue for some time off, so I made sure I got it.” He smiled at Louis, a bit unsure. He wasn’t used to nice looking men chatting him up.”You know, this whale watching tour is fun, but I’m starting to get hungry. I might need to get lunch after this.”

“I’ll go with you if you like.” Oh God, Louis really was interested. Harry might wind up using that condom after all. He forced himself not to think that far ahead. “Might be nice, having lunch with a bloke from me home country. What kind of food do you think about getting?”

“I don’t know, anything.” Harry as a Reaper didn’t eat much at all, he didn’t need to. But now that he was Up, he wanted to try everything. “Figure we can find some Brazilian barbeque? That would be fantastic.” 

“I’m surprised, you look like a health food nut, but you want to go to the place with all the meat.” Harry shrugged, and Louis giggled a bit. “I’m sorry, but you kind of do. But I don’t know, I just met you, shouldn’t be jumping to conclusions.” 

“I don’t think I’d call myself a health nut, exactly,” Harry said, looking out at the vast expanse of ocean. “I like good food when I can get it.” He frowned a bit-that had slipped out. He shouldn’t be letting Louis know that normally three meals a day wasn’t something he was much interested in.

“You’re fit, you probably eat protein powder and kale.” Louis grinned, and Harry did too, liking the awkward flirting. “I don’t cook at all, so it’s either takeaway or I eat cereal. I’m awful, I’m getting too old to eat like that.” Then there was a gasp, and they both turned to look as a fin broke the surface. “Fuck that’s amazing.”

“I know. The world’s a lot nicer than I give it credit for.” Louis looked at him then, an eyebrow up, and Harry cursed himself inwardly. He shouldn’t have said that. But Louis seemed to take it at face value, shrugging.

“You did need a vacation,” was all he said, and then looked for whales as the boat slowly pulled back towards land.

…

“So what do you do at your job?” Louis asked him as he drank a beer over their lunch table. They hadn’t been able to find a Brazilian barbeque open for lunch, but there was a nice curry house that Harry liked the look of. “I mean, you seem to work long hours and it’s stressful, do you work in a hospital or something?” 

“Um.” Harry didn’t really have a cover story, but he nodded. “Yeah, I work the night shift in a hospital. I’m not a nurse or a doctor though, I…” He thought about it for a minute. “I work in the morgue.” It was close enough to the truth to be alright. 

That got him a raised eyebrow from Louis. “You do? Wow. Wouldn’t have pegged you for the type. What brought you to that profession, if you don’t mind me asking?” Louis seemed truly interested, and Harry tried to think of a good answer. 

“Well, I like working at night, and I like the privacy, you know? It’s quiet.” That wasn’t even how his job went, but it was the best he could do. He had been inside a few morgues, and they did tend to be cool and quiet. “It’s not so bad.” 

“Wow. You’re braver than me,” Louis said, and he drank more of his beer. “I’d be too scared to do it, not that I think the dead are really going to rise up and join the living. But I’d still think it.”

“Probably unlikely,” Harry said, even though technically he was dead and he had joined the living for a vacation. That wasn’t what Louis meant, anyway. Harry was a lot of things, but he wasn’t a zombie. “It’s just hard sometimes,” he said. “Because you know someone had a life, full of good things and bad, and people who knew them…and by the time I see them, all that’s gone.” Louis stared at him over the table, and Harry had some of his chicken tikki to cover the awkward silence.

“When you see them, it’s too late.” Louis nodded, and ate some of his food. “That’s depressing as hell, I can see why you say it’s hard. I don’t think I could do it myself.” Louis pushed his bowl of curry towards Harry. “Here, have some. It’s really good.” 

“Thank you. You as well.” Harry pushed his closer to Louis and they both tried the other’s lunch. “You’re right, it’s amazing.” Harry had not had curry in years. “I’m glad I met up with you,” Harry said, and Louis cocked an eyebrow. “This is a good lunch.”

“You want me to hang around with you after, maybe go and see the sights?” Louis brought it up with a gentle voice, but it made Harry a bit nervous. Was this a date? Oh lord, he hadn’t been on a date in years. Would Louis want more from him? Harry figured he didn’t mind if he did, but he would like to know.

“There’s an amusement park near the ocean,” Harry answered, and Louis’ grin seemed grow and grow until Harry thought it would split his face.

“I love roller coasters,” Louis said as he paid for their meal, and Harry could feel himself smiling big too. 

…

“You know, it seems I don’t love roller coasters as much as you.” Harry was rubber-legged and needed to sit and clear his head a bit. Louis helped him find an empty bench and patted his back. Harry took deep breaths-they had really changed these things since the 50’s. 

“I’m sorry. Do you want me to get you a Coke? It’ll help settle your stomach.” Harry nodded, and Louis took off for the nearest food vendor. Harry sat in some bad temper and misery until he was back, then he drank about half his Coke in one gulp. 

 

“I feel better,” he said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know I would react that way.” 

“You haven’t ridden one that big before?” Harry nodded, that was true enough. “Do you want to go on anything else, or just wait a bit? You still look a bit pale.” 

“I might need a minute, yeah,” Harry said. He didn’t know how to tell Louis how out of touch he was with the modern world. He supposed it wouldn’t matter anyway-after a few days Harry wasn’t ever going to see him again, after all.

Louis said next to Harry and patted his knee. “Don’t worry about it. Take your time.” 

“Okay,” Harry said, and he wished he could know this man for more than a few days.

…

They left the park soon after that, and Louis came with Harry when he took a cab to his hotel. He also didn’t look at Harry like he was mad when Harry whispered “How much do I tip?” He just shook his head a little and told him. 

“Oh, didn’t you hear? California abolished tipping, you don’t have to worry about it.” Harry didn’t say anything else, and when we got there he didn’t tip. It was a bit of a surprise when the driver cursed in a language he wasn’t sure he knew and took off, leaving him with Louis laughing at his side.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry.” Louis didn’t act sorry, he was still doubled over laughing. “You really didn’t know to tip? I was just playing a prank on you. I didn’t have any idea.” Louis kept sniggering, and Harry hoped that the taxi driver wouldn’t get too angry and speed, causing one his co-workers to have to come and visit him. He wouldn’t like that.

“You’re a menace, aren’t you?” Harry said, and Louis looked proud of it. “I was just trying to make sure I did right by him, but you had to play games.” Louis looked a bit contrite. “Why did I invite you back to my hotel anyway?”

“Well the reason we gave was to watch England and Brazil play football with a couple of beers.” Harry nodded at that, and Louis continued. “But actually I was hoping that we’d wind up naked on your bed. You’re fit, and you’re a lot of fun, and since you want me to be honest for some reason, I might as well tell you.”

Harry stood there for a few seconds. He hadn’t come Up so he could have sex. He hadn’t even wanted to have a lot to do with humans, he just wanted to see the ocean. But Louis seemed to insist on hanging around with him, and now they were talking about sharing a bed. It had been some time since he’d had sex, he hoped he wasn’t out of practice. “Oh. Yeah,” is what he finally managed to say.

“Yeah? Okay then.” Harry turned towards the hotel and Louis came with them, both of them standing close together but not speaking, until they got to his room. Then Louis grabbed his bum as he pulled him in for a kiss. Louis ran his tongue against the seam of his mouth until Harry opened to the kiss, thinking _Oh yeah, right._ Harry got himself in gear and put his arms around Louis, squeezing his nice little bum in turn. It was nice, he’d stared at it a few times at the park. Louis must have noticed.

“That’s it. You want this, right? I’m just making sure, we can stop if you want.” Harry nodded, and Louis said “Oh thank God”, and kissed him again. Somehow they moved the few feet to crash onto the bed, Louis on top of Harry. They kept kissing, Louis breaking it only to pull his shirt off and toss it across the room.

“How are we going to do this?” Louis said, and Harry had a hard time thinking, what with Louis’ mouth right against his jaw. “Harold,” he said, peevish, and Harry tried to focus.

“I can be on bottom if you want,” Harry said, wondering where that condom Liam gave him got to. “Wait, do you have protection? I think I have a condom somewhere.” This conversation was just as awkward as he thought it might be.

“Good idea. I thought I had one in my pocket, let me check.” Louis got off him and patted his pockets down. “Ah, here we go. Want to get naked then? Unless you’d rather do something else.” Harry shook his head and Louis fumbled for lube, finally having to use some lotion that Harry hoped wouldn’t break the condom. Well, he knew it was impossible for Louis to give him anything serious and vice versa. At least he hoped so.

They both lost the rest of their clothes and Louis started trying to stretch Harry with his fingers. It wasn’t very comfortable, even with the lotion, but Harry just put his face in the pillow and let him try to loosen him. 

“Shhh, shhh, I’m sorry, I’m trying to be gentle,” Louis whispered, and Harry kissed Louis’ neck. It was a very sweet gesture, even though this was just two lads getting off on vacation. It was still nice to kiss, Harry thought, as Louis moved so he could kiss his neck again. It made him feel good.

Eventually, Harry groaned and said “Yeah, yeah, okay,” and Louis fumbled for the condom. “Hope this doesn’t break,” he said, and Louis paused. “I mean, you know,” Harry fumbled. “Because of the lotion,” he finished gracelessly.

“We can still not do it,” Louis said and Harry thought about it. “I won’t leave if you don’t want to fuck, we can do other things.” Harry looked at him then, and nodded. “Okay then,” Louis said, and he kissed Harry again before putting a slick hand around his cock. Harry thrust into his grip, and only lasted another few strokes after that. 

Louis kissed him as Harry flopped on the bed. It had been far too long since he felt that. After a minute he looked up at Louis and said “Sorry. I didn’t know I would go that fast.” 

“Doesn’t matter,” Louis said. “It was fun. Um, so, what do you want me to do?” Harry grinned and covered his hand with some of the lotion and reached for Louis’ cock. Louis let out a gorgeous little gasp, and Harry licked his neck as he started pumping his hand. Louis wriggled up back in his space and they kissed as Harry wanked him off. When Louis came, he bit Harry’s lip, and they wound up snuggled in a heap. 

After a few minutes, Louis wriggled away, and Harry heard the tap come on in the bathroom. A minute later he felt a damp flannel on his stomach, and then Louis back in bed with him. “You awake, Haz?” Louis said, and he opened an eye in response. “You want to watch England now?” 

“Yes,” Harry said, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes. “I have some beers in the mini-fridge if you like them.” Louis nodded and found the right channel, the squirmed off the bed, coming back with two beers. Harry took one and twisted off the top. “Cheers.” 

“Yeah,” Louis said, and he put an arm around Harry as they watched the game. “You know, I liked what we did,” Louis said, very casual. “Can we see each other again while we’re here? Might be fun.” 

“All right,” Harry said. He couldn’t see why not. He needed to have a different experience than work, and sex was different all right. It had been so long since last time, and gay people were treated much better in these times on the whole. “You’re nice to be around.” 

“Thank you,” Louis said, preening a little, and Harry privately thought he was cute. Then they watched the game.

…

Louis left after a couple of hours, getting Harry’s number for the phone he barely knew how to use. Harry lay in bed alone, like he usually did. He did feel a bit different, though. Happier.

They met up the next day, Harry watching Louis surf. Then they went back to his place again and fucked. Harry was better prepared this time, and Louis fucked him doggy-style, his face smushed in the pillows. He wound up coming so hard ne nearly passed out, Louis holding him up.“Fuck,” he said when they were done and Louis let him up for air. “That was fucking brilliant. Was it good for you?”

“Of course it was,” Louis said, taking the condom off. “You’re fun to be with, and you’re good, and fuck I need to piss, be right back.” He scrambled off to the bathroom and Harry collapsed on the bed, not caring if it messed up the sheets. 

The third time was different. They spent the entire night together, instead of just meeting up during the day and having their nights separate. After they had sex, Louis asked “Can I stay over?” Harry didn’t mind, so he said yes, and Louis grinned and ordered them tea from room service, with a few biscuits. “We should have a snack,” he said, and Harry didn’t question him as to why. 

…

A week went by before Harry even noticed. He spent most of his time with Louis, getting to know this funny, sweet, ridiculous man. They spent a lot of time both outdoors and indoors, learning each other’s bodies. Harry knew he was getting too close, but he didn’t really care. He really liked Louis.

And then he got a call from work.

“No,” Harry said, before Liam could get it out. “I’m not ready to come back yet, I want to stay another week.” 

“Harry,” Liam said, and Harry could tell he was trying to sound firm. “We’ve given you over a week, but we need you back. Everyone else is getting overworked, you have to think about the group. You know not many people are fit to do this.”

“Yes, and there’s a reason for that,” Harry said. “I’m not coming back yet. I need more time, I didn’t even know who I was when I wasn’t Reaping, just give me more time. You can’t force me anyway.” Harry didn’t think that they could.

“We can send someone to get you,” Liam said, and Harry’s heart sank. “You’re not the first Reaper to do this, you know. And we know about that man you’re seeing up there, that phone I gave you reports back to us.” 

“Fuck,” Harry said. “You can’t take me back yet. You can’t, I haven’t felt like a human being in so long.” 

“I know you haven’t,” Liam said, trying to sound patient. “But that’s because you haven’t been human in a long time. You can’t continue with this, Harry. You’re stringing that young man along, you can’t have a relationship with him! Just come back before you do any more damage.” 

“I can’t,” Harry said, and he felt dread, at the idea of having to leave Louis. “I know I went too far. But I can’t leave him now, he means too much.” He hadn’t told Louis that, knowing it was soon, but he couldn’t hide from Liam. Liam was probably the most earnest person he ever knew. “I can’t leave him Liam.” He wiped at his eyes.

“You have to,” Liam said. “Just make it quick and then come back. He knows you’re on holiday, just say you have to go back and then never answer his calls. It sounds terrible, but it’s better than what you’re doing. We need you back, Harry.”

“Just give me a few days,” Harry pled. “I can’t leave yet, just give me a few days.”

“I can give you two more days Harry, and that’s it,” Liam said. “You have to do the right thing. I’ll see you soon.” 

“Cheers,” Harry said, as he ended the call. He took a beer out of the mini fridge and drank it, trying to stop crying. Then he checked his messages-he had two from Louis. Harry wiped his eyes and called Louis back. “Hey,” he said when Louis answered.

“You waited long enough to call back-wait, are you okay? You sound like you’ve been crying. Are you crying? Want me to come over, should we talk about it?” Louis had turned on a dime from being smartassed to concerned, and it made Harry want to cry even more. 

“Yeah, I need to talk to you, come on over.” He said.

…

When Louis showed up a bit later, Harry handed him a beer right away. Louis raised an eyebrow but drank it quietly while Harry drank his. After a few tense minutes of silence, Louis said “All right. What do you have to tell me?”

“I have to leave in two days,” Harry said, and he wiped at his eyes again. “Work called. They need me back soon.”

“What, that’s all? We both know we’re on holiday, of course you’re going home, but I can call you, text you, we can meet up when we’re both back in England… wait, we can’t?” Louis stared at him when Harry shook his head. “Why not?” 

“I live in a different place than you,” Harry said. “I don’t live in England-I used to long ago, but I don’t now.” Harry fidgeted a little, not knowing what to say. “I’m not supposed to be here, they called me, told me to come back.”

“Come back. Come back to where?” Louis was staring through him, a frown on his face, and Harry didn’t know what to say. 

“I-I’m not really alive, Louis. I know I have a heartbeat and I breathe, but I’m not. I really am Harry Edward Styles, but I died decades ago. I’m a Reaper, my job is to take people to their afterlife. I swear I’m telling you the truth,” he said, but Louis just looked angrier the more he talked. “I don’t want to go back, I’m so tired of it.” 

“You-this can’t be true. You’re mad, out of your mind,” Louis said, and he reached out fast to grab Harry’s arm. “I can feel your pulse, Harry. If you never want to see me again, why make a story this insane up? You could’ve just said so.”

“I’m telling you the truth-here.” Harry got up and went to the little kitchenette in his room. He took a steak knife from the cutlery drawer, took a deep breath, and jammed it into his arm, to the hilt. He watched the blood drip down as Louis screamed. After a couple of seconds, he pulled the knife out. 

Louis watched as the gaping hole in Harry’s arm closed on its own, knitting itself back together with no scar. Harry grabbed a dishtowel and cleaned up the blood on his arm and the carpet. “I don’t like doing that,” he said to Louis, who looked white. “It hurts, even if it won’t damage me. I’m sorry, don’t throw up please.”

“I don’t think I can be sure I won’t,” Louis said. “Dear God. You’re actually a mythical person. I don’t know what to do with this.” Harry sat across from Louis, rubbing his arm. It would sting for a few minutes. “So, your job is to collect people who have just died, and…take them to heaven? That exists?” 

“Just their souls, not their bodies,” Harry said. “And there’s lots of afterlifes to choose from, we take them to whatever they believe in. There’s Catholic and Protestant heavens, Catholic Limbo and Purgatory, Christian hell…”

“There’s hells? I bet a lot of people go there. And how many different afterlifes? If a small cult or group has a belief, does that mean their afterlife is created?” Louis scooted a bit closer, and Harry was relieved. Louis seemed to believe him now. 

“Not as much as you’d think, and there’s a fair amount of afterlifes, but not one for every possible group. I have no idea how many people have to believe something for an afterlife to be created, that’s not my department. I think a lot more people deserve hell than go there. But most religions are set up so you can ask forgiveness. If someone does that in time, before they die, then they go to heaven. They must behave themselves there, because most of the heavens seem like nice places.”

“I hope they are,” Louis said, and they lapsed into silence for a minute. “So,” Louis said, and he knew then what Louis was going to ask. “Why aren’t you in one of those heavens, instead of taking people there? Were you given a choice and you decided to?”

“Not exactly,” Harry said. “I didn’t get sent to heaven or hell because I didn’t believe in any of them. I wasn’t an atheist exactly, but I had no strong belief one way or another. So when I died, I was pretty much drafted into it. A lot of the Reapers have stories like that-I think Liam was actually hanged for blasphemy, for not going to church. He doesn’t like to talk about it.”

“Fuck. I wouldn’t either.” Louis moved so he was sitting next to Harry, and stroked down his arm. “Does it still hurt? I’m sorry I made you do that.”

“It’s better now,” Harry said. It actually still twinged a little, but he kept that quiet. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

Louis was silent for a moment, still running his fingers down Harry’s arm. “When did you die? And what happened?” 

“I died in 1952, in a car accident,” Harry said. “I was 21-still am, far as looks go. I had been working for a circus as a ringleader and singer, and we all went out to the pub after one show. We got a bit too pissed and then the car I was in went off the bridge. I don’t remember much after that, just waking up and someone taking me down, telling me I was dead, and that I would be a Reaper.” Harry could still hear his co-workers screams as the car went off. He didn’t think that any of them survived. “I liked being in the circus, it was a good place for someone like me back then. It’s not like it is now for gay people.”

“Yes, that is a thing that’s gotten better,” Louis said. “So wait, was I the first person you’ve shagged in over 50 years? That’s…I don’t know what to say to that.”

“Almost,” Harry said, and Louis looked surprised. “I had a little fling with Liam once, before he got promoted. He’s really a nice bloke. Hung, too.” 

“Well then by all means,” Louis said, and they laughed, Harry putting his head on Louis’ shoulder. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. And I’m so sorry you’ll have to go back so soon. You said you were sick of it, and I can believe it. What’s the worst? To have to go see?”

Harry sighed, wishing he hadn’t been asked that. “Children, especially if they’re victims of violence or war. That’s never good. Sometimes I’ll come for the soul of a murder victim and I know who did it, I can see them in the room or running away. But it’s not as if I can tell the police, so I do nothing. I’m just there to get the soul, not to interfere.” 

Louis moved so he was holding Harry in his arms. “I never meant to come Up and to start an affair,” Harry said. “I really just wanted to look at whales.” Then they both laughed, Louis cuddling him, until they lay back on the bed, touching softly. “I’m sorry I won’t be around longer. I…I really like you. I don’t want this to be the end.”

“I know,” Louis said. “I was gutted when you said you wouldn’t call me. I know we just met, I don’t care. You’re just an amazing bloke. And now that’s it. Two more days, and you’re gone. What am I going to tell me mum?” 

“You told her about me?” Louis shrugged, not looking at him. “That’s brilliant,” he said. Louis smiled softly, and snuggled Harry closer. “I don’t want to think about this anymore,” Harry said. “Let’s nap.”

“Do you sleep, like people do?” Louis said, and Harry pouted at him. “I’m sorry, but I just wanted to know. Don’t you get called at all times?”

“I do,” Harry said. “And you’re right, I don’t need sleep the way a living person does. Sometimes I do when I’ve had enough, but I don’t get physically tired. I’ve been sleeping up here because…might as well.” 

“No wonder you moved around so much when I slept over,” Louis said. “Do you think you can get out of your job, since you’re sick of it?” Harry shook his head. “Why not?” 

“What would they do with me? I can’t go to a heaven or hell, and far as I know there’s no other place after death. You can get promoted, but it doesn’t happen much. It’s not as if people die off. Only person I know who that happened to was Liam. They started a human resources position and gave it to him.”

“I guess you’re right,” Louis said as they settled on the bed, Harry getting up to close the blinds, Louis turning off the light. “I hate this, that you’re so unhappy. And…I really want to see you again.” 

“Nothing to be done, I suppose,” Harry said. Louis was spooning him, and it was comforting. “I wish I could bring you with me, actually.” 

“Probably wouldn’t allow that,” Louis said, and he kissed Harry’s neck. “Let’s sleep now.” 

“Okay,” Harry said, and he drifted into a half-sleep, half-wake state. Behind him he could hear Louis snuffling and snoring into his neck. It had only been a few days, and he’d gotten so used to, so attached, to this person. And there was nothing he could do to keep him. He frowned, but didn’t fully wake. 

…

When they woke up, Louis went to take a shower. Predictably, the phone Liam had given him rang. “What’s wrong Liam?” He said, and Liam sputtered. 

“What’s wrong? You told a living person what we do and you ask me what’s wrong? We can still hear everything you say in this room, you idiot! I cannot believe you’re sabotaging what we do here just because you have a fling with a human. Don’t think about him! I was married when I died, now I can barely remember my wife. I’m telling you, after about three hundred years it doesn’t really make a difference.” 

“I thought I turned this off,” Harry said. Liam snorted, and Harry said “All right, I’m sorry. He’s not going to tell anyone, don’t worry. We’re having tonight and then I’m coming back. And Liam? Maybe you forgot your wife, but that’s you. I’ve never met anyone like Louis, and I don’t think I’ll forget him.” Harry hoped he was telling the truth. 

“I should send Zayn and Niall to bring you back now. But if you’re sure that you’re ending it, I’ll let you come back in your time.” Harry looked over at the bathroom door, and made agreeing noises until Liam hung up. When Louis got out of the shower, Harry went over and hugged him, Louis holding on to his towel and awkwardly hugging back. 

“You were on the phone. Who called you?” Louis wasn’t thick, Harry thought. He caught a lot of things. 

“Liam. He’s angry because I told you what I was. He’s bugged this phone, by the way.” 

“Bollocks. That means he’s heard us having sex.” Louis took off his towel and flopped on the bed. Harry couldn’t help but stare at his body. “What do you want to do on our last night? We can go somewhere nice to eat.” 

“I can’t believe you’re lying naked in front of me and asking that,” Harry said as he straddled Louis, getting a flurry of giggles out of him. “Let’s shag, then we can worry about dinner.” Louis grabbled the lube, and Harry grinned, all mischief. 

“Wait,” Louis said before he put a slicked finger into Harry. “If you’re undead, why do you insist on condoms? I can’t kill you a second time, can I? Or is it for me, could you give me something? You died in an accident, not from polio or something.” 

“I was afraid I might do something to you,” Harry said, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I know I didn’t die from illness, but I’m always touching the dead. I know you don’t get HIV that way, but…I just worried. Maybe I worried too much.” Louis shook his head fondly, then kissed him again. 

“At least you were looking out for me. I can’t stand some of these queens today-taking tons of drugs and then not calling their tricks back. So selfish.” Harry thought he wouldn’t have minded people acting like that if it meant he could be more out than he was allowed to be in his life. But he accepted Louis’ second kiss, then he rolled on his back again for Louis to open him up. 

When Louis was fully inside him, Harry wrapped his arms around Louis’ neck and kissed him, over and over, touching his mouth to Louis’ as he moved slowly inside him. “My sweet Haz,” Louis said, and Harry blinked. This was unexpected. “I don’t want to give you up, I want you to stay with me. We could start a pub together, something like that. Both of us together.” 

“You know I can’t,” Harry said, feeling teary and emotional, right in the middle of sex. “They’ll come get me, I’m not allowed to do this for more than a holiday.” Louis looked at him, and the pace of his hips sped up, Harry gasping from it. “I can’t, I’m sorry.”

“We could make a space for us, just for us,” Louis said, and he seemed to get even more passionate, his voice cracking. “Just you and me. I won’t care if you never age, even if I get old and fragile, as long as you’re with me. You know?”

“I can’t, I can’t,” Harry said as Louis hitched one of his legs up and thrust into him harder. “I wish I could. And you-you don’t know how you’ll react if I keep being young when you’re not.” 

“I would. I’ll just keep you with me no matter what, even if I have to hide you from other people. They won’t understand, but I will. I’ll take care of you. I just…I just love you so much, Harry.” Harry gasped as Louis thrust into him hard and stilled. Harry could feel Louis coming inside him, and that set him off, without Louis even touching him. 

“Oh God,” Harry said, and Louis mumbled something and kissed his neck. “Louis…did you mean that? You can’t love me, I have to leave tomorrow. You need to find someone living, Louis, I’m not good enough for you. I can’t be with you.” 

“Fuck off, I’ll love you if I want to,” Louis said, still mumbling into his neck. “You can’t stop me.” He pulled out of Harry then, and flopped over to Harry’s side. “I know they’ll come get you if I try to steal you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to.” Louis brushed a hand down Harry’s side. “Did you ever love someone, when you were alive?” 

“I did, but he didn’t know about it. I don’t think he even knew I wasn’t straight. It was a man who worked the circus. Then I had an affair with another circus person, but I don’t know how much I loved him. I think I just enjoyed him as a friend and it was safe with him.” Harry thought about Grimshaw, and wondered what happened to him-he hadn’t been in the accident. He’d been a nice enough bloke, but self-centered. “You really think you love me?”

“I don’t think it, Styles,” Louis said. “I adored you the first time I saw you, on that whale-watching boat. You are so beautiful, it’s like you aren’t even real. It doesn’t matter to me, that you’re not living. You’re perfect in so many ways.”

“I’m really not,” Harry said. “I don’t usually even look this good. But I’m glad you think so. I wish I could’ve known you when I was alive. You’re…I don’t know what to say.” Harry wanted to say _I love you_ back, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it, not when he had to leave.”I’m going to remember you, you know. I promise I won’t forget, no matter how long it is. I can’t give you much else, but I can tell you that.”

“Fuck,” Louis said. “I don’t like hearing that, knowing you’ll be gone.” Louis stared at the ceiling for a while. “I don’t want to sleep,” he said. “Let’s order room service or take-out and stay in, watch TV and maybe fuck some more. Oh, by the way, if you’re all from different time periods, how do you relate to the modern world as well as you do?”

“We watch TV like everybody else,” Harry said as Louis laughed. “It’s true, everyone has HBO. But no, we try to at least have an idea of what’s going on. Let me order a pizza. I don’t have to eat, but pizza is one of the world’s best inventions.” Louis kissed him, and then Harry got the phone to make the order.

…

They did stay up that whole night, eating pizza and watching TV, making love again near sunrise, and then Louis passed out as the sun came up. Harry got his things ready, and when it was time for him to leave, he shook Louis’ shoulder. “Hey,” he said. 

“Mmmrph,” Louis said. “No, I don’t want to wake up. If I wake up you’ll leave me.” 

“Yes, I’m sorry,” Harry said. “I have to go, they need me back. I don’t want to.” Louis sat up, rubbing his eyes. 

“Come with me. We can make that pub idea work, I know it.” Harry shook his head, a tear dropping down. “We’d be the happiest pub owners ever. Shit, I wish I could make you stay.” 

“It’s not my decision,” Harry said, and then Louis was wiping his eyes. “I’d be willing to give you and the pub a chance if I could.” Harry leaned in and kissed Louis again, cupping his face. “I should go,” he said. “I mean it, I won’t forget you.” 

“Let me get up, get out of your room.” Louis got up and got dressed, putting his wallet in his pocket, and they walked out together, silently. Harry turned in his key cards and Louis walked with him out of the hotel. On their way out Louis asked him “You never held hands with a man in public when you were alive, did you?” 

“No, I couldn’t. It was unsafe,” Harry said. “Do you want to?”

“Of course I do,” Louis said, and he gripped Harry’s empty hand, squeezing it, as they kept walking down the sidewalk, heading towards the beach. They walked and Harry could see a perfect day-bright and sunny, with people playing on the beach, swimming in the ocean. Everyone was happy.

“I have to go now,” Harry said. “I have to do this part alone, so I’m going to walk through that park by myself. I’ll miss you Louis.” Louis nodded, and Harry could see more tears rolling down his cheeks. Then Louis dropped his hand, and Harry waved before walking off on his own, among the scrubby trees that grew so close to the ocean. He kept walking until he saw an elevator for him, that had one button that read DOWN. He got in, and sniffled as he went down, back home.

When he left the elevator, he was immediately greeted by Liam and Zayn, with Niall in the background, grinning at him. “It’s good to have you back,” Zayn said, and Harry nodded, not able to speak yet. “Did you bring back the phone? We kind of need that.”

“Of course,” he said, his voice breaking. Zayn frowned and looked over at Liam, who shooed him out of the way. Liam took his arm and led him back to his room. “I did what you wanted me to do,” Harry said, openly crying now. “I had to leave him, I didn’t expect this to happen.”

“I know you didn’t, I know. Here, just go back to your room until we call you,” Liam said, sounding worried. “I’ll bring you some treats if I can get them.” Liam had a remarkable sweet tooth, but Harry shook his head. Chocolate wasn’t going to help him now. 

“Just leave me alone for now Liam. I’ll be right here.” Harry collapsed on his small bed, and looked up at the white walls and ceiling as he cried. He already missed Louis desperately, and he knew he’d never see him again. 

He didn’t know how long he laid on his bed, but after a while, Liam was back. “I’m sorry,” he said, and Harry just got up. 

“It’s okay, it’s what we do, innit?” He got up and went towards the elevators, to get the soul that was marked for him. This one was a suicide, and Harry wanted to shake him, as he always wanted to. Suicides were so annoying, to him. But he shut up, and took the soul to the appropriate afterlife. He still felt empty inside, but he could do his job.

A week passed by, then a month, then two months. Harry just did what he needed to do, and stayed locked in his room when he wasn’t. Occasionally Liam would try to get him to talk, but Harry wasn’t in the mood. It wasn’t Liam’s fault, but he still felt the sting of having to leave. 

“Why don’t you go on another vacation?” Liam said one time. “That might help you, just not anywhere you think he’d be.” Harry shook his head. “Why not?”

“Because I just want to see him,” Harry said. “If I saw him again, I would be happy, but that won’t happen. And I don’t expect you to understand, Mr.-I-Forgot-My-Wife.” 

Liam stared at him for a second, eyes wide. Then he dropped them. “Her name was Sally,” he said. “She had blue eyes, and brown hair, she was happy and loved music, and I missed her every day for centuries. I think she went to Protestant heaven, I’m not sure. But she’s not here.” 

“No,” Harry said softly. He accepted the small chocolate bar Liam offered him, and went back to his room. He hadn’t had more than three bites before Zayn came by his room. 

“Harry, you have to do a Reaping.” Harry stood up, breaking off a bit of chocolate and offering it to Zayn. He shook his head, and Harry popped the candy in his mouth and heading for the elevators. He watched as the elevator took him to England, and he wondered what the weather would be like. 

When the door opened, he went down to where two cars were collided, and he could see the soul, it was right there-and then he stopped. “Louis?” 

Louis looked up at him, smiling. “I was hoping I’d get you,” he said. “Don’t worry, I didn’t try to kill myself. Bastard ran me off the road and into that tree.” Harry looked at Louis’ body, how broken it was, and then back at Louis’ soul, smiling in front of him. “Do I get a kiss?”

“Yes.” Harry pulled Louis in and kissed him, stroking down his face. “Oh darling, I’m so sorry. I wanted you to have a long life. But I’m glad to see you again. Come with me, I’ll take you where you need to go.” Louis gripped his hand and they took the elevator down. When they stopped where Louis was going, Harry looked a bit surprised. 

“Lou? This is my floor. This is where I work.”

“I know,” Louis said, grinning. “You told me about how your job recruits nonbelievers, and then you never thought to ask how I felt on the subject. Well, the answer is I don’t believe. I never did, mum raised us to be humanists.” The elevator door opened, and Liam greeted them, looking shocked when he saw Harry and Louis’ intertwined hands. 

“Hello,” Louis said, with a big smile. “I got Reaped, I am not a believer, so I believe this makes me your type of hire, correct?” 

“Y’yes,” Liam said, looking a bit taken aback. “I’ll just need to get you settled in, get you a room-“

“I want to room with Harry,” Louis said, and Harry gaped. “I love him, I adore him, and I think we can get through the afterlife together, if we try to.” Harry beamed at him, and bent to kiss him.

“Okay, okay, there’s no precedent for this, but I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime, you two can go into Harry’s room. I’ll get this sorted.” Harry squealed and grabbed Louis’ hand, taking him to his room. 

“I thought you said you could never do this type of job,” Harry said as they walked hand in hand, getting a few odd stares.

“I can live with it, if it means I get to keep you. Hey, your eyes are lighter.” Harry nodded, knowing they were washed out again. “That’s brilliant, that they do that. Then there were at Harry’s small room and he looked around.

Louis looked at this small room with everything painted white. “Not much on décor here, are they-oof!” Harry threw himself into Louis’ arms and the wound up on his tiny bed. “This one isn’t big enough for both of us,” Louis said. 

Harry smiled at him. “We’ll get a bigger one. Promise.” Louis leaned in for a kiss, and Harry didn’t care about how tiny his room was. They’d be fine.


End file.
